Car-coupling.



0. s. BNRIGHT. UAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1902 N0 MODEL.

PATBNTED JAN. 6, 1903.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

BNRIGHT.

COUPLING. 4

APPLJ; OOOOOOOOOOOO AN. 30, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS S. ENRIGHT, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,740, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed January 30, 1902. $erial No. 91,907. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

' Be it known that I, CORNELIUS S. ENRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-couplings, more especially the means for locking the knuckle and for opening the same, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one in which the knuckle will be securely locked {and effectually prevented from becoming accidentally uncoupled by the jar and vibration incident to the passage of a train over rough road-beds and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling of this character having a knuckle capable when released of opening automatically and of remaining in such open position to enable the car-coupling when uncoupled to be always arranged for automatic coupling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device adapted to be operated or actuated by the weight of the knuckle and capable of reducing the drop of the latter to a minimum and of causing a slow gradual movement of the knuckle to reduce to a minimum any resistance to the closing movement of the knuckle.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a car-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention,the knuckle being closed and the locking-block being in its engaging position. Fig. 2 is a similar View, the locking-block being swung rearward and elevated forreleasin g the knuckle. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, the knuckle being closed and the locking-block being swung rearward, but not elevated. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the knuckle. Fig. 5 is a plan view. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the l0cking-block. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of one side of the car-coupling, illustrating the manner of mounting the knuckle. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken approximately on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a similar view taken approximately on the line 9 9 of Fig. 5.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. V

1 designates a draw-head provided at one side with upper and lower perforated ears 2, receiving a knuckle-pin 3 for pivoting a knuckle 4 to the draw-head. The knuckle 4 is provided with an arm 5, which is engaged by a locking-block 6, adapted to be lifted and swung rearward beyond the arm of the knuckle, as hereinafter described, to permit the said knuckle to open. The knuckle is capable of a limited vertical movement, and when closed it is maintained in an elevated position by an oscillatory eccentrically-arranged support 8, consisting of an upright body portion and a laterally-extending approximately L-shaped arm 9, extending downward. The oscillatory support has an upwardly-extending arm 10, formed by the upper portion of the .body, and the lower portion of the body cooperates with the laterally-extending depending arm to form a forked or bifurcated lower portion. The upper arm 10 is received in a rounded recess 11 of the lower face of the knuckle and is rounded to conform to the configuration of the same. The lower end of the lower portion or arm 12 of the body is rounded, as shown. The bottom of the draw-head is provided with inner and receive the depending arms of the oscillatory outer seats 13 and 14, arranged to alternately support to permit the latter to shift its position and to cause the knuckle to swing on its pivot. When the knuckle is closed, the laterally-extending arm rests upon the seat 13, and the center of gravity is to the left of the seat, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings, so that when the knuckleis free to move its weight will cause the support to swing to theleft, and thereby swing the knuckle outward. The knuckle in opening gradually drops, and the oscillatorysupport moves from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 to the intermediate position illustrated in dotted lines in the said figure. In this position the body of the support is at a slight inclination, and the lower end of the same rests in the seat 14 and forms a fulcrum for the support, which then swings from the intermediate position to the outer position. (Illustrated in full lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings.) This movement produces a slow gradual fall of the knuckle, and when the latter closes there is a slow gradual rise, and the resistance to the closing of the knuckle is thereby reduced to a minimum; also, by providing an oscillatory supporting device with a pair of depending arms or fulcrums the drop of the knuckle is reduced to a minimum and the necessary swing or outward movement of the knuckle is efiected. The bottom of the draw-head is provided with an opening 15, extending downward from the seat 14 and adapted to permit the escape of cinders, moisture, and other accumulation, and the car-coupling is thereby prevented from becoming clogged. The oscillatory support possesses great strength and durability and may be made of a size and strength to enable it to successfully withstand the jars and strains incident to its use, and it cannot become accidentally displaced, and it is not liable to be broken or otherwise injured, and if broken may be replaced at a small cost and withoutinconvenience.

The arm 5 of the knuckle is provided with an enlarged end or head 16, forming upper and lower project-ions or lugs and received within a corresponding recess 17 of the adjacent side or wall of the draw-head, whereby it is interlocked with the same and is adapted to prevent the knuckle from pulling out should the knuckle-pin break. The recess of the slide of the draw-head is of sufficient size to permit the necessary movement of the knuckle in opening. The knuckle is locked in its closed position by the block 6, which is provided at its top with a flange or shank 17, having a slot 18, arranged at an inclination when the knuckle is closed and the lockingblock is in its engaging position and receiving atransverse pin 19. The locking-block is provided at the back with a recess 19, and it is connected by a rod or link 20 with suitable operating mechanism (not shown) which is adapted to lift the locking-block and swing the same rearward. The inclined slot permits the locking-block to be drawn upward and swung rearward, and when it is arranged in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings the arm of the knuckle is released and the knuckle is permitted to open automatically by the means heretofore described. The top of the draw-head is provided with an opening and the link which passes through the opening of the draw-head has upper and lower eyes, the lower one being linked into an eye of the flange or shank of the lockingblock. Should the locking-block be swung rearward to the limit of its movement by any jar or vibration of the draw-head, it will be clear by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings that such movement will not release the r knuckle, which will not be free to open until the locking-block is also raised to the position shown in Fig. 2. The flange or shank, which is located midway between the side faces of the locking-block, extends from the front to the rear face thereof, and it is tapered slightly, being provided at the upper portion of its front with an inclined edge. When the locking-block is withdrawn and raised to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and the knuckle is permitted to open, the said locking-block drops downward to substantially the position illustrated in Fig. 3, presenting an inclined front face to the arm of the knuckle and adapted to be automatically lifted by the same when the knuckle closes. After it is lifted by the closing of the knuckle it will drop downward to an upright position and lock the knuckle.

It will be seen that the locking device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable in operation, and that it will automatically engage and lock the knuckle when the latter closes. It will also be apparent that should the locking-block swing backward to the limit of its movement through any jar or vibration of the draw-head the knuckle will not be released, but will be held firmly in its closed position, and that should the knuckle-pin break the arm of the knuckle, by being interlocked with the draw-head, will prevent the knuckle from pulling out.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a draw-head having a pivoted knuckle capable of vertical movement, of an oscillatory support interposed between the knuckle and the bottom of the draw-head and provided at its bottom with arms adapted to alternately or successively engage the bottom of the draw-head as the knuckle swings whereby the fulcrum-point is shifted, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a draw-head having a pivoted knuckle capable of vertical movement, of an oscillatory support arranged beneath and receiving the knuckle and provided with an upwardly-extending arm and having a lower forked or bifurcated portion forming a pair of arms adapted to alternately or successively engage the draw-head, as the knuckle swings, whereby the fulcrum-point is shifted, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a draw-head provided at its bottom with inner and outer seats and having an opening, a vertically-movable pivoted knuckle provided at its top with a recess, and an oscillatory support consisting of a body portion and the laterally-extending approximately L-shaped arm, the lower end of the body portion and the laterally-extending arm being adapted to engage the said seats when the knuckle swings, whereby the fulcrum-point is shifted, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a draw-head provided at one side with a recess, a pivoted knuckle having an arm enlarged at the end to interlock with the recess, a locking-block engaging the arm of the knuckle and provided at the top with an inclined slot and capable of swinging and of being moved bodily upward and downward, a pin passing through the slot, and means for lifting the lockingblock, said locking-block being automatically moved rearward by the slot when it is lifted, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a draw-head, a pivoted knuckle, a locking-block engaging the arm of the knuckle and provided with an inclined slot, a pin passing through the slot, and means connected with the locking-block for lifting the same bodily, said lockingblock being automatically moved rearward by the inclined slot, when it is lifted, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CORNELIUS S. ENRIGH'I.

Witnesses:

J. J. FOWLER, S. B. ELDER. 

